Tag Archives: Donnas

Kelby Ray, Neil Mason, Jaren Johnston and Ben Brown are American Bang. Click here for more images of the band (this photo: George Walker IV/The Tennessean).

In the world of popular music, 2006 seems like a lifetime ago. The King of Pop was still with us, iPods didn’t make calls and no one had ever heard the name Lady Gaga.

That was also the year Nashville rockers American Bang — then known as Bang Bang Bang — signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. It was a period full of signings, deals and activity in the Nashville rock scene.

Nearly four years later — after so many of its peers either made it big, broke up or went back to their day jobs — American Bang is finally getting a shot at rock stardom. After numerous business-related delays, the band’s self-titled debut album hits stores today. From a creative standpoint, at least, the collection of melodic, hard-driving Southern rock songs was worth the wait.